Air cargo demand rises 8.4pc

Published Wednesday 5 April 2017 3:58 pm

Demand for air cargo rose 8.4 per cent in February, according to the International Air Transport Association.

After adjusting for the impact of the leap year in 2016, demand measured in freight tonne kilometres increased by 12 per cent – almost four times better than the five-year average rate of three per cent.

Freight capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometres, shrank by 0.4 per cent in February 2017.

Strongest demand growth was in Asia Pacific (11.8 per cent), Africa (10.6 per cent), and Europe (10.5 per cent).

Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO, said: “Any optimistic look at the future sees growing demand for specialised value added services. Shippers are telling us that the key to turning the current uptick in the cargo industry’s fortunes into longer-term growth is modernizing our antiquated processes.

“We must use the current momentum to push ahead with the elements of the e-cargo vision—including the e-air waybill which is nearing 50 per cent market penetration.”